What Is Forever?
by Neko-chan -Silvered Tongue
Summary: SERIOUSLY Dark AU Egypt story. The land is ruled by a cold, cruel Pharaoh. He delights in causing terror and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Will anyone have the courage to stand up and fight?
1. Judgement

What Is Forever?

By: Neko-chan

  
  


A/N: Ummm... ^_^ Well, usually I don't write dark stories (and I've NEVER written a SERIOUSLY dark story), but I've been in "that type of mood" lately. So, this is my first attempt at an ongoing dark fic! (And don't worry, I'll still be regularly updating "Bakura's Guide To Fighting...Dirty" and still find time to also write all of the sequels that you want; and I also promise to update "Youth of the Nation" regularly. Like I said before, I can only read [and write] dark fics for a certain amount of time until I finally have to go and read something nice to cheer me up. So...I will _not_ be dumping "Youth of the Nation." *pinkie promises*) Anyway, this story will be taking place in Ancient Egypt. BUT, hopefully, this will not be your typical Ancient Egyptian fic. (There's a lot out there and I want to try my own hand at it. Hopefully, it'll be at least somewhat unique.) Also, I don't know whether or not this is going to be a yaoi story or not. If you want it to be, then tell me. If not, then tell me anyway.

Disclaimer: I'm lazy, so this is probably going to be the only chapter that I write this in. I DO NOT OWN YU-GI-OH!. It'd be nice to, but I don't. Yu-Gi-Oh! is owned and copyrighted by its respected owners. Sadly, I'm not one of them.

  
  
  
  


~*What Is Forever?*~

What is forever?

What lasts forever?

Everything is gone in a blink...

of an eye.

Nothing lasts.

Nothing stands the

test of time.

Tell me,

what is forever?

Can you

tell me?

Can you

answer me?

Everything crumbles.

Everything wears down.

Everything shows the

test of time.

_Nothing_ lasts forever.

The only thing that lasts forever...

is Death.

What Is Forever?

  
  
  
  


Chapter One

"My lord! Oh, please, my lord! PLEASE!! I didn't mean to, please let me go! My family needs me! Please show me mercy!"

Yami leaned back in his throne and rested his chin on his folded hands. A bored tone; a tone that he reserved for court functions. A tone that did not bode well for the man about to be judged. "What has he done?"

The guard bowed to the Pharaoh, prostrating himself on the ground. "My Morning Star, this man was caught stealing bread in the bazaar. He claims to have a starving family. It is his explanation for his thievery."

A raised eyebrow. "Do you believe him?"

The guard paused. "No, my lord. He has been caught several times before. This is his tenth time. Each time he was caught, he was stealing some food. He's been stealing from different parts of town so it would be harder for us to catch him. ... We also believe that he may be behind the recent thieving acts of the young noblewomen that come to the market. Each time they return to the palace, they discover that some bauble or such is missing. And we found _this_ on the little rat." 

The guard frowned and tossed a golden necklace to the ground. One of Yami's personal guards left his side and bent down, picking up the necklace so that it glittered in the sun's bright light. An ankh--something only nobility were allowed to wear--dangled from the chain, proclaiming that whoever owned the necklace would have a long life. This time, the symbol was wrong. So very, very wrong.

Yami smiled and all who saw his smile shuddered in fear. They each knew what was about to happen--and each didn't feel sorry for the thief, only relieved that it was not them that _that_ smile was directed at. The young Pharaoh leaned forward in his golden throne and raised his other eyebrow, smiling congenially at the sobbing man on the palace floor.

"Do not fear, my friend," Yami spoke softly, his smile becoming even friendlier. The man stopped sobbing and turned his tear-stained face up to the Pharaoh, his Morning Star. Slowly, ever so slowly, an emotion that he hadn't allowed himself to feel bubbled up in his chest: Hope. "Do not fear, my friend," Yami continued. "You will come to no harm in my palace. No one shall lay a harsh hand against you while you're in my home--my palace. You are safe here."

"M-My lord?" the thief whispered, staring up at the Pharaoh. "My lord, you believe me? Thank you so much, my lord! Oh, thank you! Thank you! I swear that I will earn my food honestly from now on, though my wife and my children will have to work even harder for it." He bow, prostrating himself on the floor before the throne. "Thank you, my lord!"

Yami's smile deepened. He gestured to the man on the floor and yet another of his guards stepped away from the throne. Cat-quiet, the man made his way down the marble steps, finally stopping in front of the grateful man.

"Take him outside and cut off his hands. That way, he will have _no_ way to thieve ever again." The thief suddenly quieted and looked up at his Pharaoh, his black eyes wide with shock. Yami gentle smile turned sinister. "What? You thought that I would let you go by without any punishment? I told you that you would come to no harm in my _palace_. I never said anything about what would happen to you _outside_ the palace." A chuckle. "Now, you'll never be able to thieve ever again. And so, Pharaoh commands it to be done."

The guards bowed and left their master to surround the middle-aged thief. Together, they herded the kicking and screaming man outside into the courtyard...and to the blood-stained cutting block. When the man saw where the guards were taking him, his struggles increased. But it was no use. 

"Morning Star?"

Yami turned his head slightly and looked at his priest out of the corner of his eyes. "Yes, Kaiba? I know that you had wanted to see me earlier, but I have been busy with the justice and law courts all this morning. That was my last case. What did you wish to speak to me about?"

Seto Kaiba sat by his Pharaoh's feet, watching with distant eyes as the guards enforced Yami's decision. A scream pierced the air--and then there were only sobs. "The caravan has arrived. It's the first trade caravan for the new season. And I had several questions to ask you about tonight's banquet."

"Yes, Kaiba?"

"You and I both know that there has been a famine in the south. The signs have told me that the gods are angry with the people there. What type of sacrifice should we do in order to appease them? Anubis is particularly angry with us, my lord."

A long pause. "You and I both know what type of sacrifice that Anubis requires. Don't try and play around the point. He requires a blood sacrifice--a human sacrifice. You just said that the first caravan has arrived. Go down to the slave market and see if there are any fit to be tonight's sacrifice. If so, then buy them and bring them here for my inspection."

Kaiba looked down at the floor, then sighed and stood, bowing to his Morning Star. "Yes, Pharaoh. Your wish is my command. I shall return shortly."

Yami watched Kaiba leave and cocked his head to the side, for all the world looking like an inquisitive bird. "Interesting..." he said to no one in particular.


	2. Compelling Eyes

What Is Forever?

By: Neko-chan

  
  


A/N: Anyway, I'm glad that everyone who read chapter one liked it so far. Yup---Yami is a cold-hearted yami in this story. He's eeeeeevil. ^_^;;

Yami: NEKO-CHAN!!! I THOUGHT I WAS YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER!

*tweaks her ear* You are, you are...but you're just evil in this fic. And Bakura isn't a Tomb Robber, either. D *snickers*

Bakura: NANI?! *suspicious* What have you done to me?

...*coughs* And, to clear things up: Seto Kaiba is Seto Kaiba. Yami is Yami Yuugi. Ryou Bakura is Ryou Bakura. And (I've read this somewhere or other and a couple of people have told me this) Nam is Yami Bakura. It seems that Nam was Yami Bakura's name way-back-when. Soooo...I'm going to be calling Yami Bakura Nam in this story. 'Kay? Kay.

  
  
  
  


Chapter Two

Seto Kaiba hated going down to the slave markets. He was surrounded by guards, but still felt ill at ease. Why? What could possibly set him so on edge? He didn't know. Did he even want to know? A difficult question to answer, that.

The thing that Kaiba hated most about the slave markets was the smell. Unwashed bodies, human and animal waste, rotting food, cooking food, fear-sweat----all this and more combined to make the slave markets smell as they did. He wished that he was back at the palace, where the air was clean and perfumed slightly with exotic scents. This... This just sickened him.

But there was no way for him to go back. He recognized the subtle hint that Yami had dropped to him. Only he, Seto Kaiba, High Priest to the whole Egyptian Empire, could possibly handle the responsibility of picking out a blood sacrifice. Or so Yami thought. And, of course, if the famine didn't end in the south after the sacrifice, then Yami would--of course--think that there was something wrong with the Priest that did the blood sacrifice ceremony. And that would be him.

If Kaiba wasn't very careful from this point on, he could soon find himself without a head. And the Empire would then find itself without a High Priest. But, more than that, he didn't want to die.

"There," he growled at his guards. Some of them were Yami's guards, some were his own. And some were spies that Yami had sent to watch him closely. But, how to tell a spy from a genuine? "There," he growled again. "The slave market that I'm looking for is to our right. They usually have the more exotic slaves, which is what we need for tonight. A fitting sacrifice for a fitting ritual."

This section of the slave market was cleaner than all the rest. It was the first sign that the wares sold and traded here would be superior to all the other slave auctions. Kaiba wasn't sure how he knew it to be so, but they would find the slaves that they were looking for here. And that was all that mattered to him; that, and getting out of this Ra-forsaken hellhole as fast as he was able to.

There were two slave traders here--a male and, surprisingly, a female. The male was old, gray-haired and gray-beared. Through the silver of his hair, Kaiba could see bits and hints of red. 'It must have been his original hair color before he grew old,' the High Priest thought to himself. The girl--who must have been the man's daughter, had thick, wavy red-orange hair that came to the backs of her knees. Though he was far away, Kaiba could tell that both--the father and daughter--had gray eyes.

Smiling in a friendly matter, the girl-woman wandered over to Kaiba and his entourage, bowing slightly when she noticed Kaiba's rank. Somehow, the High Priest could sense that the bow had meant to be taken mockingly, not literally. The brunette boy smiled slightly; she was probably a cold-hearted witch, but there was an aura around her that you couldn't help but like.

"Dia adhuit," she said, finally stopping when she was toe-to-toe with Kaiba. The much-taller boy blinked and looked at the girl closer. She had just spoken Gaelic, which was a Celtic language. Already, Gaelic was growing dead; only the Irish, Scottish, and Pict people spoke the language. And that meant that she was one of those nationalities, if not all three. And by her looks, Kaiba was voting for all three.

"Dia is muire adhuit," Kaiba said in return, inclining his head slightly. He had just returned her hello and that was about the extent of his knowledge of Gaelic.

The girl blinked in surprise and finally smiled. And finally, she spoke in his native tongue. "Greetings, High Priest. I am Morgan, how may my father and I help your lordship?"

'Ah... A female Celtic _learned_ slave trader. An interesting combination.' Kaiba tilted his head to one side, looking at the girl curiously and with dark sapphire eyes. "I'm looking for several slaves for the Pharaoh's banquet tonight. You and your father have the prestigious slave trade in the slave market and so we came here. Do you have anyone adequate, my lady?"

Before she could answer, her father smiled a sneaky little smile and spoke up: "Yes, my lord, we do! They are each five gold pieces and they are the best slaves a person could ever possibly find." With that, he started off in a direction, gesturing over his shoulder that Kaiba should follow him.

Kaiba was about to when the girl stepped in front of him and glowered dangerously at her father. "AVOCH! Damnú air, Papa!" She quickly ran after her father and the two quickly became involved in an argument conducted all in Gaelic. Kaiba looked on, interested in spite of himself, but he couldn't understand a word of what they were saying.

* * *

"OH, NO! Damn it, Papa!" Morgan yelled, running after her father. Once finally caught up with him, she glowered at him murderously. "Father, don't you understand that the HIGH PRIEST is buying slaves from us?! He has the Pharaoh's ear and favor. The slaves that they'll be purchasing from us are going straight to the palace. We _can't_ direct them to the lesser slaves. If they ever found out what you were about to do, they'd kill you AND me, Papa!"

The old man sighed. "Daughter, you and I both know what a corrupt man our Pharaoh is. This is the only way we could possibly earn money. After all, the taxes that he charges can barely feed us, let alone the slaves that we keep to sell."

"And which would you rather have, Papa? Your money or your life?" The old man remained silent for a long time. Finally, Morgan snorted in disappointment. "You sicken me, Merlin. Go back to your tent. _I_ will sell the slaves to our 'honored' customers." For a moment, her eyes flashed to silver. Merlin glared back at her and his own eyes darkened to black. But, in the end, they faded back to gray and he made his way back to his own private tent.

Smiling congenially, Morgan once again turned back to her customers.

* * *

"Gentlemen, if you would, please come with me," Morgan said, bowing mockingly to Kaiba and his guards once again. With looks exchanged between them, the group followed the young woman while the old man slowly made his way back to his tent, his stooped figure radiating discouragement. 

"These are our best slaves," Morgan began softly, lifting the flap to the smallest tent in the courtyard and ducking into the shadowed recesses within. Kaiba paused for a moment, then followed, his guards coming along at his heels. "Each one is worth his weight in gold. You will never find any better ones in the whole world. Each one is handpicked personally by myself and we keep them healthy and well-fed. What do you think, High Priest?"

Seto Kaiba waited a moment before responding, letting his eyes adjust to the dark interior. And his gaze was caught by several pairs of eyes. 

Sullen, rebellious honey-brown.

Angry, mutinous mahogany.

Terrified, wide oak.

And...

Innocent, beguiling violet.

  
  


A/N: BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!! Cliffie! *cackles, then ducks the various things the readers/reviewers toss at her* Anyway, once again, read and review and I'll update! [And I'm still accepting votes on whether this should be yaoi or not! Starting next chapter, it has to be final! So send in your votes! Aaaaaaaand...each voter gets a Pixy Stix! *cheers and dances around*] To warn you also: This is NOT going to be a happy story. Sure, there will be happy/light moments. But, overall, this is going to be seriously dark. x.x;; You have been warned...

  
  


Translations:

Dia adhuit: Hello

Dia is muire adhuit: Hello (said in return)

Avoch: No! or Oh, no!

Damnú air: Damn it!


	3. The Tarot

What Is Forever?

By: Neko-chan

  
  


A/N: Anyway, the votes are in and everyone who replied and actually voted wanted this story to be yaoi/shounen-ai. For everyone who didn't want this, I'm sorry. But I did say that I would judge by majority rule. If you really don't want to read a yaoi story, I do have another Egypt story called "Sands of Time." It is NOT yaoi, nor will it ever be yaoi. I hope that this makes you feel better about the fact that this story will end up being yaoi. Anyway, enjoy!

Bakura: I still want to know what you're planning on doing with me.

LOL! Think about it, Baku-chan. There were FOUR pairs of eyes, three of them being brown. One pair was angry. Who could you possibly think that _that_ person was? D

Bakura: ...you didn't.

^________^

Bakura: Oh, Ra. You DID.

  
  
  
  


Chapter Three

"Who are these?" Kaiba asked softly, making his way fully into the tent. The four pairs of eyes seemed to catch his own gaze, drawing him nearer with the emotions hidden within them. Each had something unique that was completely different than about the rest, but each pair shared something similar with all the others: Mystery.

"Oh, these?" Morgan asked innocently, raising an eyebrow as she made her way to stand behind the four slaves that Kaiba was eyeing curiously. "These are our best slaves. Each one came from a different region. Ryou and Jyou came from the far lands---Ryou from Norway and Jyou from what we call England. This one here...well, Nam came directly from Egypt. We were able to get a fair price on him---he is worth far more than what we paid from him."

"And what of this one?" Kaiba asked quietly, gesturing to the smallest slave in the tent. Wide, purple eyes---eyes without fear, filled with an ancient knowledge that one wouldn't expect from one so innocent---stared up at Kaiba's profile.

"This one is Yuugi. We received him from a kingdom far, far away. Most of the known world has yet to know of this old and ancient kingdom."

"What is its name?"

"That is a secret, my lord."

Kaiba glowered and stared at Morgan threateningly. But all she did was smile at him congenially. He sighed and squatted down to take a closer look at the four slaves that interested him so. The first one---Jyou?---was the tallest, nearly as tall as Kaiba himself. His honey eyes stared at Kaiba, glaring, yet still with a touch of fear. But, other than that, Kaiba wouldn't have been able to tell that the young blonde man was afraid.

The smaller of the two silver-haired boys had wide chocolate eyes. In a way, they reminded Kaiba much of Yuugi's violet eyes. But there was something much more...childlike...in Ryou's eyes that wasn't seen in Yuugi's eyes. 

And then there was Nam. His eyes were cold and murderous, filled with reckless anger. Though they were brown, like Ryou and Jyou's, there was still a hint of red to them. In a way, Nam looked...demonic. Would that be a good sign or a bad sign? In the end, it didn't really matter much. Kaiba would still buy him.

Yuugi looked up at all that was happening around him and remained silent. He would wait; he would wait. He did not know what he would eventually do, but he would still wait. What else was there to do? Besides getting killed, that is. And Yuugi would NOT die. Too many people were depending on him. Too many people needed him. And he must NOT let them down. He wouldn't...

Morgan bowed to Kaiba, holding her hand out for the payment as she did so. With barely a glance at the young woman, Kaiba tossed a bag full of gold coins into her outstretched palm. That done, the guards quickly made their way forward, gathering the four slaves into a small, tight group. Before they could leave the tent, Morgan stepped forward and into their pathway.

"My lord, if you would a moment..."

"Yes?" the High Priest asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Within my own people, I am known as an excellent Tarot reader. If... If you would only wait a moment, I would like to read the four slaves' cards. Would you allow me to do so, my High Priest?" Kaiba paused for a moment, then nodded his consent. Morgan smirked and waved Ryou, Nam, Jyou, and Yuugi closer to herself. 

The four slaves did so, though wary as they made their way closer to the red-haired girl. Her smile gentled and she pulled forth an old and worn Tarot card deck from her robes. "Let it be known and let it be written down that you four were told what the cards say by Morgan Le Fay." She looked at Ryou, shuffled her deck and drew out one card. "Ahhh... Be wary of magic, young one. You will do many great things with it but, if you are not careful, you WILL be seduced by it." Another one, this time with a look at Jyou. "The master is not _always_ the master. Sometimes it is the other way around. Slave can become master if he so chooses. Remember this lesson." She looked at Nam and blinked. Yet another card. "Emotions hurt and they will always hurt. But they also have the power to heal. You know what you feel---your emotions are pure and true. Let it be known, ex-Tomb Robber."

Nam blanched and glared at her threateningly. He was about to say something, but she interrupted him before he could even fully open his mouth. Another draw of the card. "Ah. Yuugi... Your card is Death. Great changes will happen around you---some good and some bad. You will walk down a hard road. But, remember, you will cause great changes, little one."

Yuugi stared at her for a moment, then bowed his head. "Arigato, Morgan-san."

"Thadpah leibh," Morgan answered, inclining her head slightly at his thanks. Cruelly, she continued: "And shouldn't it be -sama, Yuugi?"

Violet eyes widened, then narrowed. But still, Yuugi remained silent.

Once again smiling congenially, Morgan turned her attention to Kaiba. "May our slaves serve you with all that they are able to, my High Priest. They are all hard workers and I'm sure you'll enjoy them greatly." The last was said with eyes sparkling and an eyebrow raised.

Kaiba reddened slightly then bowed in return, which was a great honor to bestow upon ANYONE. There was only one person that Kaiba was required to bow to and that was his Morning Star, his Pharaoh. And, even then, he rarely bowed to Yami.

"Merry met, merry part, and merry meet again," Morgan caroled as Kaiba and his entourage made their way out of the tent and headed straight for the exit to the whole slave market. Kaiba wouldn't admit it aloud, but he couldn't get out of the slave market any sooner. Good riddance to it all; and, hopefully, he would never have to return ever again.

* * *

"Ah, Kaiba, I was wondering when you would return---if you would EVER return," Yami commented slyly, leaning his chin on his hand. With a pointed jibe, he added, "I was somewhat worried about how long your absence was. After all, the slave market area is rife with thieves and murders. It would have been a great pain to find a replacement for you, my _lord._"

Kaiba's glare darkened but he managed to hold his tongue. It was hard to do so, but he managed to do it---just barely. "But I have returned to my Pharaoh's palace unharmed and unscathed," Kaiba replied with a subtle jibe of his own. It had become somewhat of a dance between the two---one would make a comment, wait for the reply, then make yet another jibe. It was an intricate dance and one that Kaiba couldn't afford to lose. If he lost the dance---the GAME, at least it was to Yami---he would lose much more than the game; he would lose his life.

"That is a wonderful thing to know, High Priest," Yami said in reply, smiling coldly. Kaiba shuddered. It was always a bad sign when the Pharaoh used his title and not his name. A VERY bad sign. "I do hope, however, that you haven't forgotten WHY exactly I sent you out, my lord."

Kaiba bowed slightly. When he was bowed down, Yami wouldn't be able to see the anger that was flashing in his eyes. "I did, my Pharaoh. The best slaves that I was able to find. I do hope you approve of my choices."

Yami yawned slightly and his eyelids fell down slightly, making them seem heavy-lidded. "Oh?" he asked in a bored tone. Kaiba winced; this didn't bode well at all. _Not at all._

"Yes, my lord. Shall I bring them in?" The only answer that the High Priest received was a impartial wave and a small, _royal_ (never common; oh, no, never common when dealing with the Pharaoh) yawn, covering his with mouth with a dainty hand. Kaiba shot his most trusted guard a look over his shoulder and the guard snapped to action, bringing forth the four slaves Kaiba had bought just an hour earlier.

One by one, Ryou, Jyou, and Nam made their way into the throne room, bathed and washed, dressed in the finest silks that Yami's household could provide. They looked more than what they were, sparkling in the sunlight somehow.

Finally, Yuugi stepped into the throne room, dressed in violet and gold. Everything seemed to freeze for a moment while Yami's gaze finally finished looking Nam, Jyou, and Ryou up and down, then turned to the purple-eyed young man. All fell silent.

"... You will not kill any of these slaves. Take one of the normal household ones and use him or her as the sacrifice for tonight's banquet. But you will not kill any of these ones. No hand shall be raised against them. Especially...the last one."

"His name is Yuugi, my Pharaoh."

"Does it even matter?"

  
  


A/N: BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!! End of chapter three. (It might be a couple of days before I update this story. I want to update "Youth of the Nation" and "Bakura's Guide to Fighting...Dirty" before I put up chapter four on this. 'Kay? 'Kay.) I do hope everyone is enjoying it so far. Once again, I DO have a non-yaoi fic, "Sands of Time" (which I WILL be updating REALLY REALLY soon!!!). See you in chapter four! ^_~


	4. Questions

What Is Forever?

By: Neko-chan

  
  


A/N: *sighs* I said this before, but I guess I'll have to repeat it. In this story, YAMI BAKURA is NAM. Yami Bakura IS in this story, and it WILL be a Yami Bakura/Ryou story (among other things...), but he goes by the name of Nam. 'Kay? 'Kay. *nods* Also, by request of Pikachumaniac (Go and read her fics! *huggles "Fairydust"*), Otogi/Honda is added as another yaoi/shounen-ai couple! *hyper happy genki dance*

Bakura: *sighs* Why is it that you always act so weird?

What do you mean, Baku-chan??

Bakura: *glares and points to "Youth of the Nation," "Bakura's Guide to Fighting...Dirty," and now "What Is Forever?"* Do you see my point?

...¬.¬;; Authoress' right, BAKA-chan.

Bakura: :-(

LOL! Anyway, hope you enjoy chapter four! (And, to answer a question, Morgan really WAS speaking Gaelic. In my author's bio, I mention that I'm teaching myself to speak two new languages...Japanese and Gaelic. Soooo...um, yeah. ^_^)

  
  
  
  


Chapter Four

"My Pharaoh? What do you mean...does it even matter?" Kaiba asked softly, standing up from his bow. Jyou winced slightly--he knew that something was wrong here. Very wrong. Nam and Ryou took a step backwards, but neither could move very far because of the palace guards at their backs. Scared of what was happening around him, Ryou took a step closer to Nam, clutching his arm tightly. In response to this, Nam shot Ryou a withering look and shoved him away.

Throughout this all, Yuugi stood, impassive and unresponsive.

Yami chuckled slightly. "Exactly what I said, Kaiba. What does it matter if a slave has a name or not? They're still slaves. And we are the masters. So, in the end, what _does_ it matter?" He paused and looked to his right, bringing his attention to two of his most highest-ranked lords. "Honda. Otogi. Find quarters for these four. Make sure no one except for the High Priest and myself go near them. Yuugi will be my personal slave. The blonde one will be Kaiba's, and the two pale-haired ones will become the court's attendants. They look like twins--like a matched pair. They will suit us."

Once he was finished speaking, Honda and Otogi stepped forward, bowing as they did so. Sharing a quick glance, they walked over to the four slaves, gesturing for them to follow the pair. All of this was accomplished without a word. Clustered in a large group, they all left. Except for...

"Why are you staying when I commanded that you and the rest of your fellow slaves were to go to your personal quarters?" Yami asked, raising an eyebrow at the much smaller man. He wasn't mad--after all, why should he be? Little rebellions interested him. Why get mad when people were only being people? The fun thing was--to manipulate them into doing what _he_ wanted them to do.

Yuugi just stared up at the taller (and older) young man. He blinked then finally asked: "Why?"

Now it was Yami's turn to blink. "Why? Why what, slave?"

Yuugi frowned. How to put into words what he was thinking--his thoughts? Was there even a way to do so? "Why?" he asked again. But, stumbling over his words, he continued, gesturing to everything around him. "Why are we the way we are? Why did this happen? Why you? Why me? Just...why?"

Yami cocked his head to one side and stared at the slave in interest. No one had ever really talked like that to him before and he was...intrigued. "I don't know," he replied, low enough that only the slave could hear him. "In the end, we are the way we are."

The violet-eyed boy frowned thoughtfully. "What is forever?"

The cruel Pharaoh laughed mockingly. This time, his answer could be heard by all. "'What is forever?'" he imitated, copying his newly acquired slave's question, right down to the tone of voice. "'What is forever?' Why, that's an easy question to answer! My _kingdom_ is forever. _I_ am forever."

Yuugi said nothing.

  
  


Honda and Otogi finally stopped at one door in a long, long hallway of doors. "This will be your room," Otogi said, gesturing to its bland face. Nam and Ryou exchanged glances. Jyou had been left a long time ago--his rooms connected to the High Priest's. (It somehow seemed as if Yami could sense the attraction Kaiba felt for Jyou and decided to tempt him with the blonde slave. Mind manipulations. Which was all true.)

"Whose room is this, my lord?" Ryou asked softly, subtly distancing himself from Nam. He remembered when he was rejected in the throne room. And still--he was rejected. Before when they were with the slave caravan and now, ever since they arrived in the palace. Only Yuugi seemed to accept him; and, even then, the young man seemed distant.

The brunette lord blinked. "This room belongs to BOTH of you. Since the two of you will both be the court's matched pair of slaves, you will be sharing a room. It's part of Yami's orders. All the paired up slaves share one single room together."

Nam said nothing. He just opened the door and walked into the dark bedchamber, legs stiff-legged. Nearly in tears, Ryou followed slowly, his feet dragging on the ground. The smaller man knew that Nam hated all of his fellow slaves. Before he had been caught raiding a tomb, he had been a free man. But when he was caught, he had been made a slave. For some reason, he blamed all of the slaves around him for that. And now Ryou had to share a room with him. 

Would he survive?

Groaning a little bit, the heavy wooden door slowly closed behind him, leaving Nam and Ryou in the dark. Ryou tensed, expecting a blow to catch him while he was unawares. But that blow never came. A spark of light briefly lit up the room, then came a steady flame. Ryou squinted, already used to the obsolete darkness. And his eyes met Nam's reddish-brown ones.

  
  


"Ryuuji, I'm worried," Honda said softly, easily keeping up with Otogi's larger strides. They had much practice at walking together; once Otogi noticed that Honda was having trouble keeping up, he slowed his pace a bit, allowing Honda the chance to broaden his own. Like Nam and Ryou, Honda and Otogi were a matched pair. Only, instead of being slaves, they were two of the highest lords attending the court. (Only Yami and Kaiba were higher up than they were.) So, for state functions, Yami had often paired them up together. One of his reasons was to intimidate his enemies. How could he possibly know that it would have grown from there? Or did he...?

At hearing this, Otogi stopped and took his koi's hand, briefly kissing the knuckles. "I know how you feel, Hiroto. I, too, am worried. But what good will come of it? The best thing that we can do is hope...and pray. Yes, hope and pray. That's all we can do."

Honda closed his eyes and his grip on his lover's hand tightened. 'Oh, Ra... I _hope_ and I _pray_ that it will be better this time. Ra, please have let Yami's heart soften since...last time.'

Otogi leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against Honda's. "But, then again..." he murmured, "these new slaves seem somehow...different...than all the rest. Maybe they won't need our hopes and our prayers after all."

Honda leaned into the gentle embrace. "Can we still hope and pray for them, Ryuuji?"

"...of course, Hiroto. Of course, koi."

* * *

"The winds are changing again," Morgan intoned softly while her hair whipped around her like a fiery tornado. The two--Morgan Le Fay and Merlin--were sitting at the edge of a pier, far from the City of the Pharaoh. Both were finally going home...

"What do you mean, Morgan?" Merlin asked the younger girl, looking down upon her. He was standing, while she sat, allowing him to think that he had control over her. He was an old fool, but he was still dangerous.

Instead of answering verbally, Morgan brought out her Tarot deck. She drew out one card and showed it to Merlin. He blinked owlishly. 'Why would she show me Death?' he thought to himself. 'That was the card that she had pulled for Yuugi...' As he thought this, Morgan flipped it over, presenting the back to him.

Yuugi. A picture of Yuugi seemed to be painted on. She flipped over once again. This time, Yami had joined Yuugi. That was all Merlin could see before Morgan opened up her fingertips. The Death card floated in her hand for a little bit, twirling and spinning in the wind, before it finally sped away, dancing over the ocean waves.

"Did you see what was on the card?" Merlin asked, frowning at the card that was slowly becoming just a dark speck on the horizon. And still, it was dancing over the waves. Was it finally free? In a way...free of Morgan, the Tarot deck, what it represented, and magic? Merlin didn't really know. All too soon--it was gone.

"Yes."

"Will you tell me what you saw? You are the one with the expertise in Tarot reading. Your expertise lies in the subtle signs that things reveal to you. All I know is what Death represents. Change--good or bad. And, sometimes, actual death. Tell me: What did you see in the cards, Morgan?" 

The red-headed girl just smiled slightly, resting her chin on a propped up knee. "Ah, now _that_ is a secret, Merlin. Eventually, you will see what the cards have told me. Some outcomes will be different, but most will be what the cards have shown to me. Times are changing. People are changing. Some people will die; some people will live. Some will love. And some will hate." Suddenly, she giggled. "Lord, what fools these mortals be!*"

And the sun sank below the horizon.

  
  
  
  


A/N: Well, there's chapter four. (I hope you liked the Honda/Otogi moment, Pikachumaniac! There WILL be more! ^_^) And, I hope that everyone is enjoying the story so far. Just...heed the warning on the summary and chapter one, 'kay? I've been in the mood to write dark and that WILL be what the story is. Dark. Seriously dark. x.x;; But...enjoy the story anyway! ^_^

* "Lord, what fools these mortals be!"--Puck, "A Midsummer Night's Dream"


	5. Truth

What Is Forever?

By: Neko-chan

  
  


A/N: Hmmm...before I went on the internet, I was watching reruns of Yu-Gi-Oh!. (Sadly, I have to watch dubbed 'cause I haven't been able to get my hands on the subbed and/or original Japanese; would my wonderful reviewers like to help Neko-chan with this problem???) It was the episode when they're all underground in the caves and Jyou is fighting in the graveyard duel. LOL. It's also the episode where Yami Bakura keeps on setting off traps. (Seeing him run around with a skeleton attached to him was _hilarious_.) Is it is just me or do people agree with me and think that he was setting off the traps on purpose...or was he really that inept of a Tomb Robber? I prefer to believe that latter, however. D

Bakura: NANI?! What was that, Neko-chan?!

...I said that I think you stink as a Tomb Robber. No wonder you died. You couldn't even tell where the traps were! *cracks up* LOL!!

Bakura: *fumes silently*

*smirk smirk smirk* Bakura--zip. Neko-chan--lost count after two hundred. *cheers*

  
  


WARNING: This story will contain YAOI. If you don't like to read yaoi, then please leave NOW. Understand? I don't want complaints in the reviews telling me that you didn't know that this story was yaoi. All I'll do is point and laugh at you and then point to this warning--which has WARNING and YAOI in capital letters. It won't be my fault you were too stupid to read this. [Bakura: And, once again, Neko-chan loses yet another reviewer with her insults.] HEY! No, I didn't! The SMART people that LIKE yaoi will read this and they'll know. 'Sides...why would I want a review that can't even read a warning that's all in caps? *huggles all her _smart_ reviewers that reads her a/ns and her warnings*

  
  
  
  


Chapter Five

They had left him food. And they had left just as silently, seeming to blend in with the darkness surrounding the bedchamber. It was eerie...how silently they moved, how silently their whole movements were. He didn't bother speaking with them--by listening to the different conversations in the throne room, he had learned that the Pharaoh's closest slaves were all mute. So how could they talk if they had no tongue? Yuugi shuddered.

He didn't want to eat the food. He wasn't hungry and it might have had other...things...added to it. No, not poison. Yuugi knew that Yami wanted him and the others far too much to allow poison to be put into the food. But drugs... Drugs would have been allowed by the Pharaoh. In fact, he might have even put drugs into the food himself. So how could Yuugi eat the food with that threat hanging over him?

He had to stay focused. His mind had to remain clear. Others were depending on him...

"Good evening."

Blinking in surprise, Yuugi looked up to see Yami leaning against the door frame, a cruel smirk hardening his facial features. Yuugi just as quickly looked down, avoiding eye contact with the Pharaoh. He wasn't scared of him. No. How could he ever be scared of someone like Yami? All Yami would be able to do is to take away his life. But he still had his pride and his faith in his people. 

"Koba--" Yuugi managed to stop himself. 'It's getting harder and harder to do, but I _must_ not speak my native language in front of strangers. At all costs, I must keep my country and my people safe.' His eyes darted up and once again fell to the marble flooring. "Good evening, Pharaoh," Yuugi said softly.

Yami titled his head to one side and stalked further into the room, gliding across the silk rugs as if he was part cat. His feet didn't make a sound. And the expression on his face and the look in his eyes would scare almost anyone who knew Yami. But, Yuugi _didn't_ know Yami... And so the small boy sat on the bed, watching the Egyptian king walk ever-so-closer.

"Why?" This time, it was Yami's question.

Yuugi looked at Yami, a confused expression flitting briefly across his face. "Why what, Pharaoh?" he asked softly, bringing his legs up to sit upon them. He wasn't mocking his new 'master.' He truly didn't understand what Yami was asking of him.

Another step closer. A silent step. A _deathly_ silent step. Crimson eyes. Hungry eyes. Terrifying eyes. ...hunting eyes. Hunting? A pause. Yes, hunting.

"Why aren't you scared of me? Why don't you shudder when I step closer? Why don't you cry out in anger every single time I humiliate you? Kaiba reacts to my taunts--he doesn't let his reactions show, but I know that each jibe cuts into him deeply. Yet you... You do not seem to react at all. Why?"

Yuugi frowned, searching for words that he would be able to say. Words that would be able to express his thoughts without mishap. _Were_ there any proper words for the thoughts that seemed to run through his mind--never ending, without stop, over and over and over again? His frown deepened. "I don't react like other people because this is what I was trained to do."

"Trained to do what?"

But Yuugi refused to answer the young Pharaoh. Yami growled in anger and crawled up onto the bed, making his way slowly towards the younger and much smaller boy. In a way, he looked like his true self. In another...he looked like a hunting lion. Yami finally stopped when the two were centimeters away from each other. Both tried to stare the other down with crimson or violet eyes--but both were too stubborn to submit.

"What were you trained to do, slave?" Yami growled out. He wanted to know. He _had_ to know. Something about this particular slave seemed a little bit...off. He didn't act like all the others and the thing that intrigued him the most was the fact that Yuugi wasn't scared of him. And Yami wanted to know why that was so. And he _would_ get his answer...at any cost. The Pharaoh waited for a minute, but still...Yuugi refused to answer. "TELL ME, SLAVE!"

Yami's golden hand whipped up and slapped the paler boy across the cheek, sending his slight body flying off the bed and making him land heavily on the cold marble floor. Slowly, Yuugi managed to push himself to his elbows. His entire left side hurt and he knew that he would have bruises come dawn. It wouldn't have hurt so much if only he had had the chance to set himself up to properly land. But Yami's slap had come out of nowhere. And he had never been slapped before.

"Answer me," Yami hissed out, crawling towards the edge of the bed. It was the very first mistake that the Pharaoh had made since entering the bedchamber. Yuugi noticed that Yami's weight was distributed wrong; and, with a feral grin of his own, Yuugi grabbed Yami's sleeves, pulled him off the bed, and kicked him overhead using his feet to propel the much heavier man. Trainer-sensei would have been proud.

Yami landed with a painful 'thud.' Unlike Yuugi, who had had at least SOME physical training, Yami had always depended upon his guards to protect him. Yes, he knew a little bit of sword fighting, but nothing of hand-to-hand combat. Which is what Yuugi excelled in.

"How DARE you," Yami snarled as he shoved himself up into a sitting position. His hair was mussed and the area from his temple to his lower jaw was red--it, too, would be bruised...much like Yuugi's side. "I AM THE PHARAOH!!!"

  
  


Honda closed his eyes and burrowed closer to Otogi. "Did you hear that?" he asked softly. "It sounded like Yami...but I've never heard him scream like that. I've never heard him put so much emotion in his voice before."

Otogi sighed and brought his koi's body closer to himself. "It doesn't bode well for whoever has angered him," he murmured into Honda's neck, nuzzling it a bit as he did so. Honda closed his eyes and brought his arms up to wrap tightly around Otogi's waist. He was safe. He was protected. No one and nothing could harm him so long as he was safe, safe in his koi's arms. "But don't worry, Hiroto. No matter _what_ happens, I won't let anyone touch you. I won't let anyone harm you. I won't let anyone take you away."

"I know, Ryuuji. I know." Honda smiled and wiggled even closer to his love. 'But...Ryuuji, there are some things that you can't protect me OR yourself from. Like the wrath of a Pharaoh.' The brunette shuddered as another of Yami's screams echoed throughout the palace. Whoever had angered the Pharaoh would probably be dead in the morning. Another shiver wracked Honda's body. "Ryuuji...please, help me forget about our past and the options in our future. Make me focus only on this moment in time...help me focus on _now._"

Otogi answered by bringing his lips down to meet Honda's in a bruising, crushing kiss. Soon, all the rest of the world fell away until only Honda and Otogi were left. It was calm, peaceful, loving. And filled with each other.

  
  


"How _dare_ you," Yami hissed again. Energy seemed to gather around him and a glowing eye appeared on his forehead. Though Yuugi had never seen it before, he recognized it by the tales he had heard. It was the Eye of Horus...and all quivered in fear when it finally appeared on the Pharaoh's forehead. But Yuugi refused to shake in fear. "I am the Pharaoh and you are required to do whatever I tell you to do. How DARE you rebel against me. I MADE YOU MY PERSONAL SLAVE!"

Yuugi glared at Yami from his sprawled position on the floor. Yami had finally done something that had made him angry. "I am NOT your slave. I am NO ONE'S slave. You cannot make someone a slave because each and every person has one thing that you cannot take away from them: Free will. I will never submit to you and I will _never_ be your slave. You cannot make me."

The young Pharaoh snarled in fury and mentally summoned his guards, nearly blasting their minds to ashes with the force of his call. Within moments, they arrived at his door, blades drawn and ready to sacrifice their lives for the only reason why they were still living--their Pharaoh.

"Take him away to the dungeons," Yami growled out, the red mark on his face making him seem even more feral than normal. "Let's see how much he decides to fight back after a couple of days locked in a cell. You'll soon change your mind and come back to me, ready to submit to whatever I want. I _will_ have whatever I want, Yuugi. I _will_ have whatever I want...slave."

Yuugi slowly stood and dusted himself off, looking proud and defiant. He didn't have to say it aloud--he knew that Yami could understand the look in his eyes. "I will NOT submit to you. You are NOT my master, nor will you _ever_ be my master. I, the Emperor of Nippon, declare it to be so."

  
  


A/N: Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha!! Yup, you heard it right. Yuugi is the Emperor of Nippon! (And Nippon is what we call Japan nowadays. Nippon is actually Japan in Japanese. Ne...think I confused you enough? x.x;;...) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. But...what will happen next chapter??? Guess you'll just have to wait and find out.

And, for those who asked: Yup! Morgan Le Fay and Merlin are from Arthurian legend. They played important roles in the beginning of this fic, but I seriously doubt if you'll be seeing them again. But...eh. It's still debatable at this point of time.

So...read, review, and make Neko-chan a happy authoress! ^_^


	6. Blossoms

"What Is Forever?"

By: Neko-chan

  
  


A/N: Anyway, I was paging through my Japanese/English dictionary--I finally found it! And--

Bakura: Neko-chan you do realize WHY you finally found that stupid book, don't you?

...*coughs*... Because I finally started cleaning my room? ^_^;; ANYway, that's not what we were talking about! When I was looking in my dictionary, I looked up Japan just to make sure that I got it right. And--Japan is either Nippon (which I used) or Nihon. [Thank you, Yuki-chan, for making me go back and double-check it!]

Bakura: And what has this got to do with your story?

Nothing! I just thought that it was interesting and I wanted to share it with everybody! ^_^

Bakura: Oi. Stupid fanfiction authors...

  
  


WARNING: This story will contain YAOI. If you don't like, then please don't read. Pairings are as follow: Yami/Yuugi, Bakura/Ryou, Otogi/Honda, Kaiba/Jyou. Enjoy!

FYI: This story deals a lot with flashbacks and Yuugi's past. Because it ended up being so long, I had to divide it into two chapters. (Maybe even three!) And--Pikachumaniac: Don't worry. When everything goes back to normal time line, you'll get more of your Otogi/Honda. I DID promise to make them an official yaoi couple, after all! ^_^

  
  
  
  


Chapter Six

It was dark and it was cold--it was nearing on midnight and the land had yet to become even colder. Yami sat on his windowsill, staring out over the palace grounds and over the cities's buildings. Yes, it was cold. But the colder it was, the sharper the stars seemed to be. And the closer the pyramids in the distance seemed to become. That was why he enjoyed nights like this. That was why he often stayed awake at night, thinking, just letting his mind wander...

An anguished scream echoed throughout the palace corridors and Yami smiled slightly. Someone wasn't having a good time. Someone was finally learning what it meant to stand up against the Pharaoh of Egypt. Even if that person was an Emperor of a far-off land. It didn't matter. No one stood up against Yami. No one.

At least...no one stood up against Yami and lived.

~ * ~ * ~

"Ji-sama! Ji-sama!" a very young Heir to the Throne of Nippon called as he ran as fast as he was able to into the throne room. It was hard to run because of the court robes holding and weighing him down so. The fact that he was so short also didn't help in his hast, either. But he was still determined to reach his Grandfather as quick as he was able to.

Sugoroku smiled softly and bent down, picking up his grandson easily. Though Sugoroku was old and was just beginning to show the signs of frailty, Yuugi was small and light enough for him to pick up and hold in his arms. His normally expressionless eyes warmed and he smiled down at his favorite grandson. "Hai, Yuugi? Why are you in such a rush to come to me? Nothing bad has happened, has it?" he asked, gasping in mock fright.

For the most part, Sugoroku was warm and compassionate around only two people. His firstborn daughter--who had died after giving birth to Yuugi; she had caught a strange disease and no one could do anything about it because they knew _nothing_ about it--and his favorite grandchild. Yuugi.

The violet-eyed boy giggled happily. "No, Ji-sama! Nothing bad could ever happen here! After all, if something did happen, you would stop it right away, wouldn't you, Ji-sama?"

Sugoroku smiled. "Of course I would, Yuugi. Now, tell me what has gotten you so excited. It isn't an everyday occurrence to see you run into the throne room as if the Imperial Dragon was snipping at your heels."

The Prince pictured this in his mind and giggled. "Iie, Ji-sama! Iie! The fair has finally come to the capital! It's been so long since the last one! I was wandering around in the gardens and I smelled something really delicious--"

"You didn't climb the castle walls again, did you, grandchild?"

Yuugi blinked large, innocent eyes. "Iie, Ji-sama! I would _never_ do such a thing after you told me not to do so!" He giggled and hid a smile behind a child-like hand. He was lying, but he thought that he was clever enough for Sugoroku not to find out. But, of course, his grandfather already knew. Most children could not lie; and, if they were able to, Sugoroku pitied them. No child should know how to lie at such an early age. It told another about the type of life they had been leading, the experiences they already had to go through, and what prospects they had in the future.

"Ah. Of _course_ you didn't climb the castle walls and peek over the edge," Sugoroku agreed gravelly, shaking a silvered head. Yuugi giggled again. "So, my little Hikari, what did you see over the edge?"

At hearing his chance to continue, Yuugi's eyes lit up. "Ji-sama! I-I saw that the people were setting up for the fair! Different people were cooking while others were putting up tents and bringing out animals to show off! And...and Ji-sama! I saw that animal that you were telling me about! Remember? You said that it was a cat, but bigger than the cat that the Emperor of Siam gave to us. The people who traveled with the fair were talking about it--it came from a place called 'Tibet' and is called a 'snow leopard.' Isn't that just wonderful, Ji-sama?!" Yuugi paused momentarily and stared up at his grandfather with his best watery, chibi-eyed expression. "Ji-sama, can you please take me to go to the fair? We can take Shiosuke, Sakura, Touyama, and Tsukino with us!"

Sugoroku paused and if he hadn't been holding Yuugi in his arms, he would have probably stroked his beard thoughtfully--all the while dragging out Yuugi's anxiousness, teasing his grandchild gently. "Hmmm... I don't know, Yuugi..." he began, trailing off mid-thought. "I've been very busy with the peace talks lately and I don't know on what terms I can agree to set our contract with the Mongols. I need more information on them and I won't be able to obtain that information without sending out people. And how can I send out people if I'm not here, in residence?" Yuugi's reply was to continue to look up at his grandfather beseechingly. "Though... I'm sure that the peace treaty can be put off at _least_ one day longer. After all, what can it hurt? So, go and get your sister and brothers and tell them that I'll be taking you to the fair today, along with the royal samurai-lords."

"Hai, Ji-sama!" Yuugi squealed happily and practically jumped out of his grandfather's arms, running as fast as he could to the nursery that belonged to the Princes and Princesses. He had grown up there and, until just about five months ago, had lived there. Since he was the oldest, he was the only one out of the nursery. All the others still considered the nursery their home.

"Sakura! Shiosuke! Touyama, and Tsukino! Ji-sama is going to take us to the fair today! You have to hurry and get ready or he won't take us _at all_!" Yuugi's siblings looked up briefly, then returned to what they had been doing as if Yuugi hadn't spoken at all. "Sister? Brothers?" was his plaintive question.

"Go AWAY, big brother," Touyama shot back, not even looking up from the calligraphy that he was currently engaged in. The Japanese people considered calligraphy a high art form. Even at his age, Touyama showed a huge talent for the difficult-to-master art. Yuugi's other brothers and his sister didn't even bother to raise their heads this time.

In public, it was almost impossible to spot, but here--in the privacy of their own nursery--it was apparent that the younger children didn't like Yuugi at all and often were jealous of him being their Ji-sama's favorite child. He was going to be the future Emperor and they were jealous of that, too. So, if any of them had a chance to ignore him or exclude him from something, they almost always leapt at that chance.

"H-Hai..." Yuugi mumbled and slowly backed away from the room, meandering his way down the corridors. It... It didn't matter that his brothers and sister didn't want to go to the fair with him and Ji-sama. It just left more time for him and Ji-sama to talk about stuff that a normal boy never had to think about. Responsibility. Honor. Duty. Love for a station, a country, and its people.

Quickly arriving at his room, Yuugi's personal servant quickly stripped off his Imperial robes and dressed the young Prince in more 'everyday' clothing. Yes, most people would be able to tell at a glance that the young boy was the Prince of Nippon, but at least the clothing was more comfortable than his usual court robes. And that was all that Yuugi cared about.

The violet-eyed boy was about to leave his rooms when he remembered something--his favorite toy and the perfect image of his guardian protector. The young Prince had several--but this was his favorite of all. Yuugi grabbed a stuffed Dark Magician toy, clothed in the finest silks and gems, then quickly ran down the corridors, not giving a thought to what his disheveled appearance would do to the more conservative lords and ladies.

"Ji-sama! I'm ready! I'm ready, Ji-sama!" he caroled as he slowed down his pace and practically skipped into the throne room. Sugoroku looked up from his paperwork and smiled at his grandson.

"Good. I was just about ready to give up on you, Yuugi. And here you were, saying that you wanted to go to the fair with your old Ji-sama! But...Yuugi...where are your sister and brothers?"

Yuugi looked down and bit his pale bottom lip. "They didn't want to come with us, Ji-sama. They didn't want to come with _me._"

The elderly man smiled softly and reached down, clasping Yuugi's hand in his own. "Well, no worries. It'll just be me and you and the royal guards all day today. We'll have fun on our own, now won't we? Ne, Yuugi?"

Prince Yuugi giggled and nodded his head, grabbing onto the old man's hand tighter. "Hai, Ji-sama! We'll have a lot of fun together--just you and me!" Another giggle and Yuugi tugged on Sugoroku's hand, skipping ahead with a carefree heart. "Ji-sama! Hurry up! Onegai?! You're being so _slow_, Ji-sama! I bet Tsunami-san could move faster than you!"

The emperor raised an eyebrow and looked down at the boy who was tugging demandingly on his hand. "Yuugi...you do remember that Tsunami-san is a TURTLE?"

Yuugi giggled and blinked innocently up at his grandfather. "...hai, Ji-sama. I remembered. And Tsunami-san STILL moves faster than you do! I want to go and see what new things the fair has this new, Ji-sama! The Cherry Blossom Festival has always been my favorite, so hurry up before everyone else plays the games before we can! Onegai, Ji-sama!"

Yuugi giggled happily and Sugoroku joined him, their laughs joining together and seeming to dance over the cool spring hair. It was unusually warm for early spring and everyone that _could_ take advantage of the wonderful day _was_ taking advantage of it. People of all ranks filled the streets, all heading for the same destination: The Cherry Blossom Festival.

A cloud slowly drifted across the sky, obscuring the sun momentarily. And it was then that Yuugi saw red. Red filled his eyes. Red filled his mouth, his nose, his ears, his eyes. Red was all he could see, touch, taste, and hear. Red was all he could understand.

  
  
  
  


A/N: Yeah, yeah, yeah... Somewhat of a cliffhanger. Gomen nasai! Next chapter will MORE than make up for it, though! Sooo...um, yeah. Read, review, make Neko-chan a happy authoress! Ne...by the way, I DO have another shounen-ai/yaoi fic that I'm currently writing. It's called "Youth of the Nation." If you get a chance, go and read it. Hopefully, you'll like it. Anyway, ja ne and see you in chapter seven! 


	7. Memories

What Is Forever?

By: Neko-chan

  
  


A/N: ^_^;; Gomen nasai for taking so long to update--no, I haven't given up on this one. It's just that I've been getting a TON of fic ideas...and I want to write them down before I forget them. Also, this is an angst fic...and I can only write angst for so long before I need to write something else. So, once again, gomen nasai. =^_^=

WARNING: Yaoi! Shounen-ai! No like? Don't read.

DISCLAIMER: I no own. You no sue. The end.

  
  


Chapter Seven

Blood seemed to be everywhere, splattered haphazardly on the ground...the walls...and on the young prince himself. But Yuugi was watching the world through unseeing eyes. His Ji-sama lay on the ground, covered in crimson fluid...dead. The assassin who had managed to kill Ji-sama before the guards could get to him lay next to his Ji-sama, just as dead as the old man.

The man was dressed as a ninja--completely in black with his face covered. It didn't matter, anyway, if his face was covered or not. His body would be left for the dogs to play with--until he finally rotted away. In the end, it didn't matter.

Yuugi's violet eyes cleared suddenly and he looked down at his grandfather, huge tears streaming down his face to drip off of his jawline onto the hard-packed earth under his feet. So much blood. So very much blood.

"Ji... Ji-sama?" he whispered.

There was no answer.

"Come along, prince. We must go back to the palace before there is an assassination attempt on your own life," the captain of his bodyguards said softly, picking up the small boy to carry in his arms.

"But what about Ji-sama?" Yuugi continued to whisper, wrapping his thin arms around the soldier's neck. "We can't leave Ji-sama here. We have to get him to a doctor before he dies! Take him to a doctor! Onegai?"

"Gomen nasai, my prince... We're already too late. There's nothing we can do for him because he's already dead. The assassin was quick...and we weren't fast enough. The important thing, though, is to get you to the palace. We need to protect you, Yuugi... Yuugi-sama."

"Iie! Onegai..." Yuugi sobbed out, reaching for his grandfather's body over the guard's shoulder. "Iie... Onegai. Onegai..."

~ * ~

"How long have they been attacking the city's walls?" a newly-turned sixteen year-old Yuugi asked his oldest and wisest advisor as the two stood at the throne room's main window, staring out over the expansive city. In the distance, both could see a black, roiling mass striking the gates and the walls repeatedly. But they wouldn't get in. Oh, no. They would never get in.

The sea of blackness was the Hun army and they had been laying siege to the palace and the city grounds for the past three weeks. Not one warrior had managed to penetrate into the city.

"Yuugi-sama, they have been attempting to breach the walls for the past six days. As you well know, no warrior has managed to get past our defenses." The old man gave a little laugh. "No warrior ever WILL get past our defenses!"

"Ah. Well, if that is all, I must go and check on Yuki, the white tiger that Osaba-san managed to bring here when he last came to visit. Yuki has been looking ill lately and the veterinarian wanted me to check up on her every hour or so. If you would please excuse me, sir?" And, with that, Yuugi bowed to his oldest advisor and walked out of the room.

Asuzuki watched him leave, glaring darkly. 'Stupid child. He'll learn the meaning of true power, just as his grandfather did. Just wait until I... But never mind that right now.'

  
  


It was later that night that Yuugi was 'killed' and the city was overtaken. Many thought that their emperor was lost or dead--and so they turned to the one person they knew they could count on the most. It was Asuzuki's time to reign supreme. And yet... The emperor was not forgotten.

~ * ~

"Get up! Get up already!" the burly man screamed as he made his way up and down the various cells, kicking at already bruised bodies if they came close enough. He continued to do this to each slave, but finally stopped when he reached the last cell. "Didn't you hear me, slave? Get up. It's auction day."

Yuugi groaned and managed to push himself up by his elbows, gasping in pain as he man kicked his already cracked ribs. "Iie... Itai... Itai..." he whispered.

"Shut up and get up already! I don't know what you're saying--and I don't really care. My job is to get you and your worthless carcass at least semi-conscious for the auction. So GET UP, SCUM!!"

Yuugi gasped again as he managed to push himself to a sitting position, swallowing tears and holding his side protectively. With every movement that he made, fire seemed to shoot up and down his body. He knew that his ribs were cracked, if not broken completely.

And it hurt so very much...

"Are you alright?" the person in the cell next to him asked, looking at the young emperor with worried eyes. The question shocked Yuugi, yes--after all, why would a slave care about another fellow slave in this hellhole?--but the fact that it was asked in his own language was the thing that shocked Yuugi the most.

"Iie..." he whispered back. "Iie. I... I think my ribs are either cracked or broken and it's hard to breathe. I don't think I can stand all the way up."

"Don't worry about it, then. When they open up our cells, I'll go into yours and help you. Ne?" the young boy responded with a gentle smile.

"Hai. Domo arigatou. I am Mutou. Mutou Yuugi. Who are you?"

"I don't know what my last name is, Mutou-san. I only go by my first name and have gone by it for as long as I can remember. So, please, call me...Ryou."

Yuugi titled his head to one side and stared at the white-haired boy with wide, violet eyes. Though his eyes seemed open--Ryou couldn't tell what Yuugi was thinking. Finally, though, the young emperor answered the boy. "Alright. But... Call me Yuugi, onegai. We have no more titles here." And, with that, he smiled bitterly. "Iie, no more titles."

"Yuugi-san?"

"Iie. Yuugi. Just Yuugi."

  
  


"Morgan, where are you going? You've been wandering around this slave market for the past two days. Whenever I ask you what you're doing, your only reply is that you're _looking for something_. I'm tired and I want to leave this Dagda forsaken place. Just tell me what you're looking for so that we can _leave_."

The red-headed girl snarled unhappily and rounded on her companion. "I already TOLD you all that I know, Merlin! I don't know what I'm looking for--all I know is that it's important. My cards told me that what I'm searching for is extremely important and I cannot afford to let it slip out of my grasp. And yet... And yet... I just don't _know_."

Merlin sighed and stopped in the middle of the road. Frowning darkly at the young girl, he pulled her to a stop as well. "Really and truly--I just can't bring myself to care anymore, Morgan. Find what you're looking for and bring it back. I'll be waiting for you at the inn."

Morgan glared as she watched her 'guardian' turn his back on her and begin to walk away. But he was quickly forgotten. Chewing absently on a nail, she continued her wanderings of the slave market, moving from stall to stall, knowing that what she searched for was close--but still out of her grasp.

'What IS it that I'm looking for? I can sense it, teasing the very back of my mind... Darting away and then coming back to tug me where and there...' Still lost deep in thought, she bit down on the actual skin and cut into her finger. 'Damnu aire. Just...where is it??'

Finally, her gaze was caught by two pairs of eyes. One dark brown and terrified at what was happening around the person. And the other... The other was deep violet, wide and open. But though the violet eyes were open...no emotion leaked through. It was like looking into a mirror.

As Morgan Le Fay continued to observe the slave auction that the two slaves were in, her gray eyes slowly widened until white showed all around the iris. 'Here. Here is what I'm searching for. Or, more specifically, THEY are what I've been looking for. But have I been looking for the both of them or just one of them? I can't tell right now and my Tarot cards do not say... It doesn't matter, anyway. I have enough to buy the both of them. And when the three of us return to the inn, I'll do a reading.'

'And yet... Why does it feel as if many lives are about to change in this instant?'

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Yami slowly made his way down the dungeon steps. Each step that he took echoed eerily, bouncing over walls and returning to him as if it was afraid of the dark. He smiled. It should be. He _was_ the dark, after all.

Another scream came up from the depths of the dungeons and Yami's smile widened.

Step by step, he went deeper and deeper into the dungeons; the air chilled around him and raised goosebumps on his body. But he ignored the cold because it was unimportant. His goal was the important thing and he would not stop until he reached that goal.

The Pharaoh finally stopped at a single cell. Though the door was closed, bright red blood streamed like a river from a crack between the wooden door and the stone floor. There seemed to be no end of the blood---it just continued to flow without an end in sight.

Smiling to himself, Yami reached up and pushed the door open, stepping into the dark room. "Hello, Yuugi. Have you learned your lesson yet, little ruler? Or do you need to stay under here for a little while longer?"

Yuugi sucked in a breath in surprise, looking up at the Egyptian Pharaoh with violet eyes nearly completely swollen shut. Blood ran from deep cuts all over his body. It seemed almost impossible that a person could lose that amount of blood and still be alive. But that was a torturer's main goal---to keep their 'plaything' alive as long as possible.

And Yuugi was very much alive, despite appearances.

"Wh---What are you doing down here?" Yuugi managed to gasp out around the pain. He knew that he would soon lose consciousness---but he fought desperately against that fact. He didn't want to lose consciousness. Not around Yami. "Why are you here?"

"I came down here to check up on you. To see if you were ready to submit to me. There's no point in fighting anymore---can't you see that? I've won. I'll win. I _always_ win, Yuugi. So why continue to fight me?" He smiled.

Yuugi growled and tried to lunge at the Pharaoh---but the chains held him back. "Submit? Submit to you? I will _never_ submit to you, Yami. Never. You might as well kill me now because I will never look up to you in that way."

"Oh? Is that so?" Yami continued to smile and made his way closer to the trapped slave. There was no way for Yuugi to escape---he was in pain, weak, and chained to the cold stone wall. As Yami made his way closer to the young emperor, Yuugi's eyes widened. "We'll see about that, Yuugi. Slave."

And Yami slowly undressed.


	8. Echoes

What Is Forever?

By: Neko-chan

  
  


A/N: LOL! Yaaa~aaami! Not a lot of readers are happy with yooo~ooou... *evil grin* D

Yami: THIS ISN'T FAIR! _YOU'RE_ THE ONE WHO IS WRITING THIS STORY! I WOULD _NEVER_ RAPE MY HIKARI, AND YOU'RE JUST A--

*stuffs a sock in Yami's mouth* ^_^;; Heh. Just ignore him. Anyway, I'm glad that all of you are enjoying this story so far! (It's nice to know that I'm doing SOMETHING right.) Oh, and for those who asked--PG-13 is the highest this story is going to be rated. Ja ne!

DISCLAIMER: *grins evilly at Black Magician*

BM: -.-;; Neko-chan does NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh!. True, she goes through each day wishing that she did, but that will never happen, so there are no worries about THAT. To conclude this meaningless dribble that Neko-chan has now forced me to say--She doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh!...and that's that. 

...¬.¬;;

  
  
  
  


Chapter Eight

"Wh... What are you doing?" Yuugi managed to gasp out as he tried to take a step backwards, surprised and a little bit shocked. But the little emperor couldn't step very far backwards because of the fact that he was chained to the wall...and his back was _already_ pressed up against the wall.

Yami tilted his head to one side and smiled slightly. "Isn't it obvious, slave?" he replied cordially, still smiling. Another sheet of fabric pooled down to the ground at his feet, leaving him almost naked.

The violet eyed boy's eyes widened further as he realized what Yami was about to do to him. "No!" he screamed. "NO! NO! NO!" Rather than being terrified, as most people would be, Yuugi reacted with the first emotion that came to him: Fury. He was angry--VERY angry. By nature, he was a kind, caring, and compassionate person...but he had learned about hatred and fury in the slave pens. He used those emotions that he had learned now, at this particular moment in time. "NO!"

Yami blinked and actually took a step backwards. "No?" he caroled, still smiling that slight and strange smile.

"Iie," Yuugi hissed back, his eyes narrowed. "Iie. No matter what you do to me--no matter how many times you beat me or torture me...or do ANYTHING to me--you will never get me to submit to you. This is only a body. Yes, it's MY body...but my spirit lives on. My spirit lives for my people and YOU, my _Pharaoh_, can never dominate that." Eyes still snapping in fury, he snarled and slim muscles played under his skin.

In the far corner of the room, a black widow spider slowly spun her web, her weaving intricate and beautiful. But though what she spun was stunning...it still remained a trap. Gorgeous and dangerous, tricky in and of itself--a deadly combination, ne? The blonde Pharaoh watched her, his eyes slightly glazed over and empty as he did so.

Yami was as silent as ever. His smile seemed to become even stranger and further twisted...but he bent and picked up the fabric, bringing it up and shielding himself against the cold of the dungeon. "Aaah... I apologize if I offended you, little _Emperor_," Yami finally replied, mocking Yuugi as he usually did. "That had not been my intent. And yet... Well, never mind that. Anyway, you shall remain down here for just a little bit longer. I don't believe that Marik and Malik are through with you yet. So I bid you good night...and _sweet dreams_, little slave."

With that he left, bowing slightly as he did so. Once he was completely gone--- from the shadows, the two pale-haired dungeon masters appeared, circling Yuugi like a pair of hunters scenting their prey. As the young Pharaoh made his way up the stairway, the crack of a whip thundered ominously through the dungeon...and Yuugi's scream echoed from wall to wall.

Yami's smile turned sinister.

~ * ~

Otogi slowly opened his eyes and took a deep breath. "The screaming has quieted, hasn't it, Hiroto?" he whispered the question, partly to himself and partly to his koi. Chewing on his lip nervously, he began to twist a lock of his black hair around and around his finger.

Somewhat worried that his ai would go bald, Honda quickly untangled that specific finger and kissed it gently, holding Otogi's gaze as he did so. "No. No, the screaming hasn't quieted or gone done," was his reply. "But there's nothing we can do, Ryuuji...except hope and pray to Ra that it WILL end soon..."

Otogi shuddered slightly and burrowed his face into Honda's shoulder. "No..." Otogi's answer was muffled slightly due to the fact that he refused to look his koi straight in the eye. "No. No... Praying to Ra won't help us much. We've done that constantly since Yami became Pharaoh and NOTHING has changed. We prayed for a miracle...and have nothing to show for our hopes and our dreams. You and I know that he will soon tear us apart. It's all just a game to him. Ra, how I hate him. Instead of praying to Ra for a miracle, I'll pray to Ra for the Freedom Fighters' strength in the battles to come. I'll pray for our rebels."

The brown-haired young man sighed sadly and shook his head. 'This is all going to end badly... I don't know just HOW badly, all I know is that it will end badly. I just hope...' He shuddered slightly and banished the dark thought from his mind. Comforting Ryuuji and himself, he held his lover late into the night...until they both fell into a fitful sleep. No one in the castle slept well or completely that night.

And still--the screams continued on, agonizing and heart-stopping to hear.

~ * ~

"What are you looking at?" Nam snarled, his upper lip curled in disdain. He looked the much smaller boy up and down, his reddish-brown eyes glowing ferally. He grinned slightly as he made his way deeper into the room, his sharpened canines flashing dangerously.

Ryou shivered and followed Nam, making sure he kept his distance. He was terrified of the older boy--had been since the day Morgan and Merlin had managed to acquire him. In fact, Nam made most people uneasy; for some reason, though, Morgan actually got along with him. Ryou knew that he wasn't the only one who found this strange--if not a little bit disturbing.

Back and forth, back and forth Nam paced, never stopping and never bothering to pause...even for a moment. It made Ryou uneasy just watching him. It was like watching a caged tiger or lion. At this thought, the small white-haired boy shivered once again.

"N... Nam? What's wrong?" he whispered, deciding to at least _attempt_ to make civil conversation.

Instead of replying, Nam turned on Ryou and snarled. Still pacing, he finally answered Ryou's question: "What's wrong? _What's wrong?_ ALL of this is wrong! I'm a slave--before all of this happened, I was a free man. I was HAPPY doing what I was made to do...and that is being a Tomb Robber. I hate this. I hate this so much. I don't want any of this. ANY OF IT! I HATE THEM ALL!"

He screamed the last part and snarled--once again, like a caged beast. Finally deciding to vent his anger and frustration, he threw the wooden table against the wall, smirking slightly as it shattered into hundreds of smaller pieces. Nam watched it all, a small, odd smile playing about his lips. 

The taller white-haired boy picked up an exceptionally sharp piece of wood, playing with it in his hands, the same odd smile still twisting manically on his lips. Nam finally raised his eyes and stared at Ryou, his eyes completely blood-red. "Ryou..." he crooned happily, stepping forward as he spoke. Ryou's eyes widened in shock and he took a step backwards, bumping into the locked door as he did so. 'No...' his thoughts whispered in his mind.

His scream soon joined Yuugi's.

~ * ~

"Well? What are you going to do with me?" Jyou asked, glowering darkly with his arms crossed over his chest. The object of his attentions was Egypt's High Priest, Seto Kaiba. The man in question didn't reply for what seemed like hours, just staring back with a cold, blue gaze.

Finally, he spoke: "Aaah... That IS the question, isn't it?"

  
  
  
  


A/N: *happy dance* I wrote Malik and Marik in! *happy hyper genki dance* Saaa... I know that some people call Yami Malik by either Ishtar, Ishtal, or Marik. I'm lazy and so he's going to be called Marik. ^_^ Heh. Anyway, Honda and Otogi are a matched pair (ditto for Ryou and Yami Bakura/Nam), so now Malik and Marik are, too! (My mind wanders in strange directions. Look closer at how it works and you'll go cross-eyed. LOL!) Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next one will be longer, I promise. Ja ne!


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